BIO

286 words - please do not edit without permission.

click here for a Word Doc version

last updated July 2025

Ellen Graham is a distinguished mezzo-soprano celebrated for her lustrous voice, sensitive interpretations, and captivating stage presence. With over 20 years of experience, she brings a dynamic presence to the concert stage, the opera house, and beyond.

Graham’s concert works spans the Baroque to the early 20th century, including Handel’s Messiah, the major oratorios of J.S. Bach and masterworks such as Beethoven’s Missa Solemnis, Verdi’s Requiem, Mahler’s Symphony No. 2, and Duruflé’s Requiem. She has performed with orchestras nationally, including the Amarillo Symphony, the Bellingham Festival of Music and the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra.

On the operatic stage, Graham has brought depth and nuance to a diverse array of roles, including Dryad in Strauss’s Ariadne auf Naxos, Orlofsky in Die Fledermaus, Thisbe in La Cenerentola, and Meg Page in Verdi’s Falstaff. She has also charmed audiences with her portrayal of Julia Child in Lee Hoiby’s Bon Appétit and has performed in over 30 productions as a member of the chorus at Cincinnati Opera.

A versatile artist, Graham's repertoire extends beyond the classical stage into jazz and musical theater. She is a member of the Queen City Sisters, a dynamic vocal trio that specializes in the popular music of the 1940s through the 1960s. Her musical theater credits include standout performances as Madame Giry in The Phantom of the Opera and Anybodys in West Side Story. A sensitive interpreter of song, her cabaret programs have delighted audiences around the country.

In addition to her performance career, Ellen Graham is a dedicated educator and arts advocate. She serves on the faculty of the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music, where she teaches in the jazz, commercial music production, and musical theater programs, nurturing the next generation of vocal artists.

back to top